Daryl Murphy headed home an injury time winner as Town came from behind to pick up their first away win of the season at Blackpool. The home side were very much on top before the break and were ahead via Stephen Dobbie. But in the second half, a much-changed Town got on terms and went ahead through subs Frank Nouble and Paul Taylor before late drama when the Seasiders equalised through Steve Davies prior to Murphy’s winner.
Boss Mick McCarthy was forced into three changes with Tommy Smith unavailable due to international commitments, Aaron Cresswell suspended and Paul Anderson out with a groin injury.
Tyrone Mings started at left-back, Luke Chambers moved into the centre alongside Christophe Berra for the first time, with midfielder Cole Skuse switching to the right-back role he previously occupied while at Bristol City.
Ryan Tunnicliffe moved into the centre of midfield with Jay Tabb coming in on the left, while skipper Carlos Edwards returned on the right.
New signing Stephen Hunt was amongst the subs, along with Anthony Wordsworth for the first time in a few weeks.
Blackpool included ex-Town loanees Bradley Orr, at left-back, and Ricardo Fuller from the start, while Michael Chopra was on the bench.
Fuller turned an early Dobbie cross into Dean Gerken’s arms, then Daryl Murphy chased a Skuse ball down the right but could only find Seasiders’ keeper Matt Gilks’s arms with his ball into the box.
Almost immediately, Gerken was out quickly to clear ahead of Fuller in a lively first five minutes.
The game became a cagier affair and neither keeper was troubled until the 14th minute when Gerken was required to come out of his area to nod a ball down the middle clear ahead of Tom Ince.
Town eventually cleared a Blackpool freekick into the box, Mings lashing clear moments before David McGoldrick escaped on the right but shot across the face of goal.
The Blues were close to going in front in the 20th minute when, after good work from Skuse, Edwards and Hyam, Murphy crossed low from the right. The ball ricocheted around home side’s area before falling to Tunnicliffe, who seemed certain to net his first senior goal from eight yards until a defender deflected his shot wide.
But it was Blackpool who would score the game’s first goal in the 23rd minute. Bobby Grant crossed from deep on the left and Dobbie broke into the area untracked behind the Blues backline and nodded across Gerken and into the net.
The Seasiders almost went two in front on the half hour when Grant got past Skuse on the Blackpool left — although was fortunate not to be penalised for pulling back the defender — and hit a well-struck shot which Gerken did superbly to divert over the bar. Soon after, Dan Gosling shot well wide from distance.
McGoldrick curled a 25-yard freekick well wide in the 43rd minute but Town weren’t looking particularly threatening, seeming lacking in ideas when penetrating deeper into Blackpool territory.
Murphy screwed a McGoldrick knockdown out for a throw shortly before the end of scheduled time, summing up the Blues’ lack of threat during the first period.
The whistle went with the home side deservedly in front. The Blues had had a fair amount of the ball but without significantly threatening.
Mick McCarthy would have been less than impressed with his defence allowing goalscorer Dobbie a free header in the manner that they did.
The Blues boss was evidently thoroughly unimpressed overall and made two half-time changes. Off went Hyam and Tabb and on came Nouble and Taylor.
Nouble and Taylor joined Murphy up front with with McGoldrick at the tip of a narrow three-man midfield with Skuse and Tunnicliffe. Skipper Edwards went to right-back for the first time since McCarthy’s opening game at Birmingham Just over a year ago.
The changes seemed to make an early impact with Nouble winning a corner from which Chambers went close with a header.
Town were looking more threatening than they had before the break but given the positive nature of the changes it was inevitable that the home side would get opportunities and in the 59th minute the Blues were fortunate that Ince took his time over a shot and Tunnicliffe blocked.
Two minutes later Berra made an important challenge on Dobbie, then brought the ball forward. Murphy sent the ball flashing across the area but with no one able to add the final touch, then the Irishman volleyed wide from Edwards’s ball in from the right.
On 64 McCarthy’s changes paid dividends. McGoldrick held-off Gosling inside the centre circle and brought the ball forward, riding a number of tackles, before laying the ball wide to Nouble on the right. The half-time sub brought the ball inside before stabbing a low shot into the net off Gilks. It was the 22-year-old’s first goal of the season.
Soon after, Blackpool swapped the dangerous and physical — overly so according to Town’s centre-halves — Fuller for Steve Davies, a Blues target during Paul Jewell’s time in charge.
The McGoldrick-Nouble partnership almost paid off again in the 71st minute, the Blues top scorer threading in the youngster but Gary MacKenzie got across to make a vital challenge.
Town were forced into their final substitution of the afternoon soon after, Berra, who had earlier been treated for a head injury, making way for debutant Hunt. The Irishman came in at left-back with Mings moving to the centre of the defence with Chambers.
Gosling shot narrowly past Gerken’s left post in the 77th minute with both sides having opportunities. Five minutes later, Nouble played in Taylor on the Blues right but a defender’s toe put the ball behind for a corner.
Town were pressing and looked the more likely scorers, and in the 84th minute the goal came. Blackpool could only clear as far as Skuse, who fed Taylor. The striker, just back from his spell on loan at his former club Peterborough took the ball to the edge of the area before passing it left-footed into the corner of Gilks’s net for his first goal for the Blues, nearly 15 months after joining them from Posh
Hunt picked up his first Town yellow card for a foul on Nathan Tyson, then former Town striker Michael Chopra came on for the final five minutes. Soon after, Tyson saw a shot deflect wide following a corner.
Nouble twice chose to shoot when Tunnicliffe was screaming for the ball in space in the centre as the game moved into injury time with Town looking as if they might add to their lead.
But soon after the fourth official had raised his board, the home side got back on terms against the run of play. Makeshift left-back Hunt hooked half-clear and Dobbie headed back towards the edge of the box where a number of Blackpool players were unmarked. Sub Davies seized on the chance and beat Gerken.
There was no time for Town to lick their wounds and they went straight back on the attack. McGoldrick crossed from the right, Murphy’s header was deflected out to Hunt and his shot flicked off MacKenzie’s head and just over when goalbound.
And from the corner, Town finally won it. Taylor sent the ball in from the right and Murphy headed his second goal in two games, the ball creeping under Gilks.
Blackpool went looking for another equaliser but Town weren’t to be denied their first away win of the season and only their second of 2013.
After the wholesale changes to the team following the very lacklustre first half, the Blues deserved the victory on the strength of the second.
The game probably ought to have been sealed prior to Blackpool’s equaliser, but the spirit in McCarthy’s squad was again evident as the Blues grabbed the late, late winner.
Town: Gerken, Skuse, Chambers, Berra (Hunt 72), Mings, Edwards, Hyam (Taylor 46), Tunnicliffe, Tabb (Nouble 46), Murphy, McGoldrick. Unused: Loach, Hewitt, Veseli, Wordsworth.
Blackpool: Gilks, Bishop, Broadfoot, MacKenzie, Orr, Gosling, Angel (Chopra 85), Dobbie, Grant (Tyson 74), Ince, Fuller (Davies 68). Unused: Warner, Blackett, Zeegelaar, Delfouneso. Referee: Iain Williamson (Berkshire). Att: 13,525 (Town: 567).